about

FrancesDarnell

My mission is to help you experience more strength, resilience, and confidence in the power and beauty of your whole self: mind, body, spirit.

I was first drawn to Pilates as a personal practice because of how alive it made me feel. The subtle articulations of my body would activate and engage my mind and muscles, and the focus it required helped me anchor into the present moment with each movement and each breath.

I quickly realized how powerful Pilates is in helping to restore balance, rehabilitate, and strengthen through intelligent movement and connection with your body’s wisdom. The breathwork and physical connection to your center helps you attune to your whole self and come to know resilience in your body, in your spirit, and in your life.

I relied on that strength and resilience when I was thrust into the role of caregiver as my mother entered advanced stages of Alzheimer’s at the same time that my father was hospitalized after a massive stroke, passing away seven months later. When I was on the verge of adrenal fatigue, feeling completely exhausted and drained, I knew I had to reconnect with my center and reclaim my health.

It is common in our culture to live in a cycle of depletion, to work too hard and sacrifice ourselves for the greater good. I had fallen into that trap, too, but I was able to move through it because of the healing power of Pilates. My own personal experiences have profoundly shaped my life and my approach to this work.

Since 2006, I’ve had the pleasure of helping hundreds of women, from various stages of life, move through transformation and personal growth. I have integrated my unique gifts into my practice, offering a holistic approach to wellness that combines Pilates, coaching, and energy healing to help women reclaim and restore the harmony of their dynamic core.

This work has taught me that movement is healing, and uniting with your body is the pathway to happiness and success in work and in life.

Whether you’re someone who wants to rise above depletion or injury, someone who wants to move through and beyond pregnancy and postpartum with strength and grace, or someone who wants to reclaim their power and activate their dynamic core, my mission is to help you experience more strength, resilience, and confidence in the power and beauty of your whole self: mind, body, spirit.

I am here to remind you:

You are worthy. You are strong. Even on your darkest days, strength, grace, and peace are already inside of you. There is a force within you that’s ready to be awakened. Your whole core – mind, body, spirit – is here right now for you to connect with.

frances darnell

More About Me

I received my Pilates teaching certification from the Kane School of Core Integration in New York.

I have studied coaching and the art of ritual with my mentor Joanna Lindenbaum since 2011.

I use energy healing and Reiki to help women shift energy in positive directions, opening them up to experience the abundance of life's miracles.

I love the power of reflection, intention, and rituals to help people get grounded, gain clarity, and spark transformational change.

I am passionate about maternal wellness and believe that part of my life's purpose is to transform the care women receive through and beyond pregnancy, where support is often lacking.

I am committed to lifelong learning, as it has not only enriched my life but has also brought a diverse range of modalities into my Pilates practice.

I taught hang gliding lessons on the sand dunes of North Carolina for five summers and it was so incredible to empower people of all ages to pursue their dreams.

Guiding Principles

Take risks

Believe in yourself (yes, you can fly!)

Keep your dreams alive

Open up to receiving

Be present + listen inward

Focus on where you want to go

Remember to relax

Your Time Is Now

Now is the time to activate the innate power that lives inside you – deep within your core. We are here to help you activate that power so that you can feel amazing in your body and energized in your life.